Events

Repower LA is out in the community, educating and connecting residents to sustainability resources for their homes and good jobs in the UPCT Program. Check out the variety of events that we’ve hosted below.

Green the Block

Repower LA has been proud to host and support numerous “Green the Block” events throughout communities most in need of energy efficiency and sustainability and good jobs. The events combine education, music and cultural elements, with sustainability and good jobs. The Repower LA coalition, in conjunction with IBEW Local 18, LADWP and various City Councilmembers, have reached hundreds of customers and job seekers across diverse neighborhoods, such as South LA, Pacoima, Wilmington, and Boyle Heights. The goal of these events is to ensure that low-income customers can get enrolled in LADWP’s free Home Energy Improvement Program (HEIP) and save hundreds of dollars on their bills while receiving other sustainable services and education from environmental and community organizations. The other benefit is that Green the Block guests can connect to career-path jobs via Local 18’s Utility Pre-Craft Trainee Program (UPCT).

Eastside Sol

The annual Eastside Sol was one of our most popular events we co-hosted with Environmental Defense Fund, Self Help Graphics, LURN, and East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice in 2015 and 2016. The youth and family targeted live art and solar powered music festival highlighted the need and the desire for more affordable solar and clean mobility options in the heavily Latino Eastside. IBEW Local 18 helped connect residents with the UPCT program’s job opportunities and LADWP conducted outreach to residents to increase their clean energy and water-saving resources. It complements our research showing that low-income neighborhoods receive less DWP residential solar rebates. For example, Boyle Heights receives less than 1% of all residential solar panel rebates – despite polls showing strong support for solar amongst this community. Yet the area has enough solar potential to power nearly 89,000 homes. The event helped highlight our campaign to push for LADWP’s proposed Community Solar program to help renters, seniors, and low income residents.

UPCT Education Day

Repower LA, in tandem with our partner, IBEW Local 18, hosted our second annual UPCT Education Day in Summer 2016 to connect young people and folks with barriers to the UPCT Program. We hosted educational workshops to ensure that participants from diverse communities had the information, networks, and resources needed to successfully apply to the UPCT program. Some of the day’s activities included signing up for the book and a UPCT panel featuring women trainees and trainees with criminal backgrounds, as well as a tour of Local 18’s union hall.